Monday, March 31, 2014

London Bulls Fundraising Info

Fundraising...

London Bulls would like to make you aware of the fundraising initiatives we are currently running. Firstly, as of now, there is a live eBay auction for a variety of Hereford United signed and match worn memorabilia. These include signed shirts and footballs donated from the London Bulls community. We would like to make special mention to Alan Leighton and Mitch Stansbury, amongst others, for their kind donations. The money raised from the auction will be donated to either the supporters trust or the football club itself at the discretion of the donor, this is made clear on the auction information. Please read below for more information and links to the items. All items can be found on eBay if you click HERE. Please remember all the money is donated to help aid the survival of Hereford United. These items may be a great idea for a collector or as a gift for any HUFC fan.

Also, London Bulls have been in talks with the host of our next southern based match, Welling United, regarding a collection on the evening of the game. We plan to have a bucket collection before the game, at half time and in the social club at the ground. The match is to be played on Tuesday 8th April at 7:45 pm. We would like to extend our thanks to Welling for being extremely helpful in supporting and helping facilitate this. They have also invited us to share their club house pre match which we urge supporters to do to promote the "Football Family" ethos. All proceeds will be split 50/50 between the Trust and the Club. Please feel free to get in touch if you feel you might want to help out on the evening. An e-mail will follow later in the week with travel info.

Items available at auction now..

Diagouraga #20Worn at Brentford in the promotion clinching game 2008. Signed by 9 players. Click HEREfor the link.

McQuilkin #14 Worn by wee Jimmy at away games 2009/10. Also signed by player. Click HERE for a link.

Sondico BallSigned by the full current (and maybe last) squad. ClickHERE for a link.

Done #23Worn by Matt Done at away games 2009/10. Also signed by player. Click HEREfor a link.

FA Cup Match BallSigned by the team that beat Hartlepool in the 2nd round in 1999 to secure a memorable draw against Premier League Leicester City. Click HERE for a link.

To see all items available for auction click HERE for a link to the eBay page.

Buy your Tickets Online...

You can now purchase your tickets online for the upcoming game against woking. The money from your ticket will go directly to the club and can be purchased HERE. All tickets will need to be collected from the club office.

Representatives of the boards of the Club, HUISA, and HUST will meet on Wednesday night to consider the financial position of the Bulls.

The meeting will seek to determine whether the club can meet the demand for the winding-up petition in the High Court, with the Club Board needing to make a decision on Friday regarding the various courses of action.

Anybody that is considering donating to the cause, by any method, is urged to do so sooner rather than later.

Hereford United's plight has featured in several national papers over the past few days.

Here's how the Daily Mail reported the story:

There is a stand at Hereford United’s
Edgar Street stadium that was built with the money generated by their
giant-killing exploits of 42 years ago. Ronnie
Radford’s rocket stunned Newcastle United and created an FA Cup legend
that is still recognised today with an award handed out before each
final at Wembley to the team who can claim that season’s greatest shock.But that stand, the last renovation at the ageing ground, has been a lonely place on match days this season. Crowds are down and cash has dried up.
Hereford are one place above the relegation zone in the Skrill
Conference Premier but, more importantly, on the brink of oblivion.This
week it was revealed that the club need to raise £78,000 by April 7 to
meet a tax demand - or face being issued with a winding-up order.For
a club in League One as recently as 2009, their slide out of the
Football League two years ago has proved tougher to deal with than ever
imagined. Gone is the
£750,000 assistance each year from the League, replaced by an annual sum
of just £48,000 from the Conference, plus a parachute payment last year
of £250,000.If not quite
dropping off the face of a cliff, revenue streams have certainly sped
quickly down a very steep hill. Average attendances have dwindled from
3,421 in 2007-08 to 1,658 this season.Chairman
David Keyte, whose father John was chief superintendent in the city
when Newcastle, Malcolm Macdonald and all, came to town in 1972, has
attempted to cut costs. Around £800,000 has been slashed off a
£1.2million wage bill in two years. The playing squad is threadbare...
and they have not been paid in full for nearly two months. Results have suffered with no wins in 11 games leaving Hereford four points above Aldershot in the final relegation spot.Manager
Martin Foyle and assistant Andy Porter, who are believed to have gone
without pay since Christmas, were dismissed last week and replaced by
youth boss Peter Beadle.Radford, now 70, said: ‘Obviously it’s
painful at the moment, the club is in a really desperate situation. I
feel so sad. All we can hope is that things can get turned round.’Radford
knows a thing or two about beating the odds. It was his goal, a
wondrous strike that shook the country and launched the career of a
young John Motson, which levelled an FA Cup third round tie with First
Division Newcastle five minutes from time.Thousands of fans flocked on to the muddy pitch as he celebrated, arms aloft. When Ricky George came off the
substitutes’ bench to win the tie in extra-time, Hereford forever had a
place in English football folklore

Radford, back then a part-time joiner,
said: ‘That has stayed long in the memory and when I, or any of the
other players, go to Hereford the response is amazing. So many people
were affected by that. They make it clear it was a golden period they
don’t want to forget.’A
campaign to generate the funds required to stave off the winding-up
order has started. Social media has been busy with fans raising
awareness and every avenue for raising cash is being explored.‘We’ve
sold squares of the pitch at £25 a time,’ said vice-chairman Grenville
Smith. ‘A Ricky George square, a Ronnie Radford square.’ ‘That went for a bundle more than £25!’ added Colin Addison, who was player-manager in 1972.

The Supporters’ Trust has been very
proactive but some fans are critical of Keyte, accusing him of
financial mismanagement by signing off extended contracts at inflated
value before the belt-tightening began. ‘The club needs to be overhauled
from top to bottom and realistically that’s going to have to start with
the chairman,’ said Trust vice-chairman Martin Watson. ‘He’s lost the
support.’ But Watson,
who himself injected £30,000 of his life savings last year knowing he
would never see a return, wants supporters to stick together.
‘Saturday’s match against Grimsby is absolutely vital,’ he said. ‘If we
get a capacity you could see £60,000 worth of gate receipts.’ But
George fears the worst. ‘If it’s liquidation then the club that has
been around for 90 years will cease to exist. Someone, somewhere will
come along and start Hereford United 2014 or something like that‘The fact they will
still play at Edgar Street, still play in the same colours and still
call themselves Hereford Something is immaterial.‘It’s the sentimental attachment to the amount of years this club has been going. That is a bitter pill to swallow.’

Radford
added: ‘I can’t even think of that. Hereford has got to have a football
team. I’d like to stay positive that somehow they will survive this
crucial time.’

Former manager Colin Addison has stressed that Hereford United needs a miracle urgently.

"What happened in 1972 (Newcastle) really was a miracle," the former manager told the Sunday Mirror.

"And Hereford needs another one to happen right now.

"Gates have fallen by 50% over the past seven seasons because what we have produced on the pitch hasn't been good enough to keep the fans coming back.

"But those that have never wavered in their support haven't lost their spirit.

"And the fact that players with mortgages to pay and young families to feed haven't deserted the club, despite not being paid in full for a couple of months, proves to me that they care as much as the supporters.

"We're still hoping that the club can be saved. It would be terrible for the city and the county if the worst happened.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

The Hereford Times says the club will have to enter Administration on Friday if it is to avoid being wound up should it fail to find the outstanding tax sum.

Richard Prime writes: 'Effectively the club has to find the £78,000 by next Friday in order for the monies to have time to work their way through the financial system.'

The article goes on to quote non-executive Director Bob Pritchard that even if the Bulls find the outstanding £78,000, they will face further problems down the line:

“The £78,000 will buy us two months because the next writ, and we will get one, I’m not hiding the fact, will not come for at least two months by which time we are into June and planning for next year so just getting the £78,000 through buys us some time. “

Results went a little against the Bulls today, cutting their gap to the bottom four to just a single point. Aldershot beat relegated Hyde 1-0 to move within a point of the 20th placed Bulls, while Dartford beat Macclesfield 2-1 to move within two points. Tamworth's 0-0 draw at home to Lincoln leaves them nine points short of safety. Chester lost 2-0 at Welling to stay a point ahead of the Bulls, with Southport not playing after beating Forest Green on Thursday night.

At the top Luton suffered a 2-0 loss at Halifax, but Cambridge drew 1-1 with Barnet to only cut the gap to 13 points. Gateshead are third after a 1-0 win over Braintree, who drop out of the top five. Alfreton are fourth after drawing 1-1 with Nuneaton with the Shaymen up to fifth ahead of Grimsby on goal difference. Salisbury drew 1-1 with Kidderminster to leave the Harriers three points off the play-off places. In the other game, Woking beat Wrexham 2-1.

At the foot of League Two, Torquay lost 1-0 at Southend to be seven points short of safety after Portsmouth beat Newport 2-1 and Wycombe drew with Scunthorpe. Northampton need three more points after going down 3-0 at home to Bury.

After last Saturday’s upbeat defeat to Barnet, caretaker manager Pete Beadle only made one change to the starting XI. Following Rod McDonald’s injury at the Hive, utility player Rob Purdie slotted into the right full back position making up a back four of Chris Bush, skipper Luke Graham, Dom Collins and Rob Purdie. Youth teamer Jarrod Bowen had his home debut, starting on the right of midfield.

A positive start from the Bulls was brought to an abrupt halt when striker Sam Smith was harshly tackled by Andrew Boyce. Smith took the free kick from just outside the area, but his effort hit the wall and was eventually dealt with.

Jarrod Bowen then passed to James to allow him to run into the box, but his shot was deflected out for a fruitless corner.

After a period of short, neat passing, Jon Brown linked-up nicely with Bowen who cut into the box, but he was unlucky to see his low hit the side netting.

Jarrod Bowen's Shot Hit The Side Netting

With 23 minutes on the clock, Kerr saw his name enter referee Kevin Johnson’s notebook after he fouled Kingsley James. Following a confrontation between the two, Purdie delivered the resulting free kick into the danger area, but the onrushing Sharp couldn’t quite connect with the ball.

Former Carlisle man Andy Cook won a corner and took it short to Kerr, who crossed the ball into the 18-yard box, but the ball was caught all too easily by United keeper Daniel Lloyd-Weston.

Lloyd-Weston Gathers The Ball

DLW was then called into action again minutes later when he deflected Alex Rodman’s shot out for a corner which was overhit and no danger to Hereford’s back four.

Just before the break, Aswad Thomas was dispossessed by the spirited youngster Bowen, who quickly offloaded the ball to Brown, whose cross went harmlessly behind for a goalkick.

HT: Hereford 0 – Grimsby 0

The first 10 minutes after restart saw Hereford attempt to open up the Mariner’s defensive line without real success. Despite the fact Hereford are now starting to pass the ball, a lack of creativity in the final third is still Hereford’s Achilles heal.

Chris Sharp Felt This Grimsby Boot On His Ankle

After picking up a knock, Pete Beadle replaced Chris Sharp with Dan Walker.

After rarely threatening in second half, Grimsby broke the deadlock just past the hour mark. Craig Disley freed Alex Rodman down the flank and after Chris Bush was caught flat-footed, he sent a left-footed 18-yard screamer into the top left-hand corner of the helpless Lloyd-Weston’s net.

Both teams then made double substitutions within 9 minutes of the opening goal. First Mariners’ boss Hurst brought on John Lewis and Ross Hannah for Connor Jennings and Andy Cook, before Pete Beadle replaced Kingsley James and Jarrod Bowen with Williams and Leadbitter.

Within seconds of winger Leadbitter being on the field of play he was harshly brought down by Grimsby’s Kerr, in a similar incident as what Leadbitter experienced earlier this month at Blundell Park. Scott Kerr rightly saw red after Referee Johnson showed Kerr his second yellow card of the match.

Substitute Cory Williams created a goalworthy chance after a period of good play by the hosts. Williams’ shot was deflected wide. The resulting inswinging corner by Artus was headed wayward and went behind for a goal kick.

Sam Smith Heads The Ball

Probably Hereford’s best chance to grab at least a point from the game was when Danny Leadbitter crossed the ball low from the right. His powerful cross come shot slithered agonisingly wide of McKeown’s with none of United’s players able to get a toe to the ball.

On the stroke of 90 minutes, Leadbitter was yet again target of a bad Grimsby foul. Lenell John-Lewis was then shown a yellow card after a forceful challenge which saw both players receive treatment.

The Bulls continued to huff and puff but didn’t create any real threat in the attacking third and the teams effort went without reward.

United can count themselves unlucky not to have gained a point from this match, but as has been the case for much of the season, the play in the final third is letting them down. It was nice to see the excellent playing surface actually having the ball passed on it and obviously the players are responding to Pete Beadle’s footballing philosophy.

Man of the match Frankie Artus spoke to BBC Hereford and Worcester after full time. He was asked whether the Bulls could avoid relegation."There are six games to go and every game is going to be vital. The sooner we can get points on the board the better."

The interview then turned to the financial situation with the players not being paid.

"We try to leave the football and the financial situation apart but when it's everyday life, everything you do revolves around money.

"It quite hard but in the last couple of games we're tried separating that and concentrating on our football. "I think we've played well at times in games but it's just that cutting edge, we need to score goals and win games."It's that final third but I think once one goal goes in confidence will lift."It seems impossible at the minute but if we keep working hard on the training ground I'm sure we'll score in the next game."

Hereford United manager, Pete Beadle, told BBC Hereford and Worcester that he was gutted for his players after they put on a better performance this afternoon against Grimsby.

"I just said to the boys I'm genuinely gutted for them because they put in such a good shift, played some good stuff, lacked again a little bit in the final third with a little bit of quality," said Beadle.

"We didn't test their keeper enough but certainly did enough to deserve something from the game."

One very good goal separated the sides

"It was a fantastic goal but we think it could have been cut out way before he got into the box.

"We could maybe have put a bit more pressure on the ball before he came into the box.

"But when you're down there, you're down there, and you keep getting kicked in the stomach all the time, but we've got to roll our sleeves up and keep going.

"Even after the goal we were positive, we stuck almost four up-front and tried to get in the game.

"On another day one drops for us in the box and we get a chance but we're just not getting that luck at the minute.

"We moved the ball quite well at times and we had some nice little passing movements but we just want the end product to go on the end of it.

"Defensively we were pretty sound, they had a couple of half chances.

"When you're playing like we are at the minute you're going to have half chances against you.

"We were pretty sound all over the pitch until he cuts inside and bends one in the top corner which sometimes you can't do much about.

"We'll work again this week and do some more stuff in the final third.

"We knew it wasn't going to change overnight, we're asking them to do different things, to be brighter, to be comfortable and trust people with the ball and they're doing it.

"But we're just not opening teams up yet."

Beadle admitted the team needs a goal.

"We just need that goal, we need to get that goal, we need that bit of luck or a bit of magic like Grimsby had today.

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